Field of the Invention
This invention has to do with apparatus that is used in citrus juice processing environments. More particularly this invention has to do with "process finishers" used in the processing of a raw juice stream into a modified juice stream generally including the removal of solids from the raw juice stream.
Raw juice streams resulting from the extraction of citrus juice from citrus fruit contain a pure liquid component and a pulp component. The pulp component contains juice sacs and other solid elements, that contribute to the quality of the juice when juice sacs are present in juice in specific quantities, but could be detrimental to juice quality when juice sacs are present in a finished juice in too great a quantity.
In order to ensure a good quality juice, food development technical experts believe that it is important to remove the undesired pulp from the juice stream. This process of pulp separation, sometimes called a finishing process, may be done by means of a screw type finisher that will force the free juice from the pulp and allow separation of the juice from the fruit by means of interposing a screen between pulp and liquid removed from the pulp. In the process of applying pressure to the pulp to remove the juice, it is essential that the pulp be squeezed until all free liquid is absent without causing the pulp to be extruded through the finisher screen surrounding the internal worm or screw of the finisher. If, and when, an undesirable amount of pulp is extruded through the screen, the ratio of liquid to insoluble solids will decrease causing a degradation in juice quality.
Over a period of continuous processing, which is the normal method of operation, the screen, which is used to serve as a separating device, becomes clogged or "blinded=38 , a term of art in the trade. The pulp will cause blockage of the screen and thus cause a reduction in finisher efficiency. This loss of efficiency causes heat to be generated within the pulp and in the juice stream further degrading juice quality.
To combat this blinding problem various methods of clearing the finisher screen have been proposed and adopted. These methods include hand-held sprayers (a trapdoor panel on the finisher housing would be opened for access) and built in spray headers fixed in position or mounted to be manually moved along the length of the screen. Automatic systems wherein a spray ring is cycled back and forth along the screen of the finisher is also known. The drive for such a unit is a rack and pinion device driven by an electric motor. The most pertinent prior an devices all include some type of sprayers that spray water into the screen to break solids loose so that the solids can be transported to the solids discharge apparatus of the finisher.
A similar method of cleaning the finisher screen is needed and used to clean the screen after product has been run through the finisher and the equipment is to be shut down.
The advantage provided by the instant invention is that the manual screen cleaning methods and the single known automatic method have been superseded or improved by the automatic screen cleaning method and apparatus herein provided.